Micromax expected to launch Android phone around Diwali

Will launch at least three more before March 2011

New Delhi based Micromax Informatics Ltd, which has become a known player in cheap mobile phone market in India, is said to be working on an Android phone. This Android phone will be launched around the festival of Diwali i.e. first week of November.

According to a report in WSJ, Google is helping the local cell phone manufacturers like Micromax, Spice and Olive Telecom to come up with Android phones, which will ultimately help Google make Android a mass market OS. Till now, we have seen a few Android phones, which fall in sub 10K bracket, but bringing Android phone under 7K or even 5K is a bit of challenge.

“You’ve got a lot of innovation happening from local manufacturers,” said Vinay Goel, who oversees Google’s products in India.

He said Android phones selling for more than $400 are only going to capture “a really niche market” in India. “To be in the mainstream, you have to be in the $100 to $200 range,” Mr. Goel said. “The closer to $100 the better.”

Micromax is not settling with just one Android phone, it has planned to include at least four Android phones before March 2011 in its portfolio. According to people familiar with the development, Spice Mobility is also working on more Android phones.

This is certainly good for consumer who will have a lot more choice that too within their budget.